T-Birds fall to Pandas for sequence break up forward of vacation break
VANCOUVER – The Alberta Pandas relied on a complete workforce effort to bounce again and get previous the UBC Thunderbirds 67-61 Saturday afternoon at Struggle Memorial Health club. It was a back-and-forth battle for a second evening in a row with the distinction being Alberta’s almost 60 p.c capturing from the sector and defensive consciousness to earn the weekend sequence break up. With the win the Padas enhance to six and a pair of on the season whereas the T-Birds fall to 5-3 on the marketing campaign of their remaining motion forward of the prolonged vacation break.
Main the best way at each ends of the ground for Alberta was workforce captain Emma Kary with a recreation excessive 22 factors and 7 rebounds whereas Jenna Harpe added 11 factors and 5 rebounds. In the meantime Claire Signatovich contributed 5 factors however extra importantly 11 rebounds, eight of which have been on the defensive finish and serving to the Pandas in a key space of the sport the place they totalled 23 defensive rebounds in comparison with the T-Birds 17.
Main the best way for UBC was Olvia Weekes with 17 factors whereas the one different participant in double figures was Emily Martindale who added 11 factors, whereas Azalya Forstbauer chipped in with eight factors.
“It is at all times exhausting to lose the primary evening of a sequence and attempt to to attempt to bounce again,” stated Pandas head coach Scott Edwards. “It is sadly already occurred to us as soon as this yr so we’re conscious of it, however no I used to be pleased with our resiliency our means to come back again and shoot the ball higher than we did yesterday. That was a giant a part of our struggles final evening we did not shoot the ball nicely and could not get into our stress defence and I believed right now we have been in a position to do this and trigger some extra issues for the Thunderbirds and you understand I am simply completely satisfied we received this win.”
An evening after struggling simply their second lack of the season the Pandas we’re able to play in leaping out to an 11-2 lead on the heels of a Harpe three-pointer, inflicting UBC head coach Erin McAleenan to name a timeout. Alberta managed to extend their benefit instantly following the break due to a Morgan Harris three-pointer to extend the purpose hole to 12 earlier than the T-Birds started to methodically reel the guests in. Cerys Merton received it began by swishing a mid-range jumper adopted by Azalya Forstbauer hitting back-to-back buckets, the second ending off a quick break bounce go from Hailey Counsell to chop the Pandas lead in half at 16-8. The hosts adopted with Emily Martindale scoring six factors in fast succession, first making good from past the arc earlier than finishing a reverse underneath the bucket whereas being fouled and hitting her foul shot. Sophia Bergman additionally chimed in from distance for the blue and gold to drag inside five-points 24-19 on the finish of the primary quarter.
The second stanza noticed an intriguing battle within the paint from each side as Olivia Weekes stepped up for the ‘Birds scoring her first 9 factors of the sport down low whereas Kary answered for the Pandas, producing 10 of her sixteen first half factors from the important thing within the body for a four-point lead on the half, 40-36.
WBB | After three quarters, @UBCWBBall trails @pandasbball 53-52, a giant fourth quarter arising!#GoBirdsGo pic.twitter.com/TwdCfxKCZl
— UBC Thunderbirds (@ubctbirds) December 4, 2022
The third quarter noticed each groups commerce factors with out a lot separation, one of many highlights included Bergman utilizing her courtroom imaginative and prescient for a magnificence seeing eye bounce go between our bodies to a streaking Merton for a straightforward lay-up for UBC to maintain it inside a four-point unfold at 48-44. Martindale would comply with with a three-pointer earlier than including a shot off the glass as a part of her 5 third quarter factors to drag the T-Birds inside one at 54-53. For the Pandas it main the best way within the body was Shae McCusker and Claire Signatovich with three-points every.
To the Pandas credit score they locked it down on the street when it mattered most within the fourth quarter main by one level, they managed to outscore UBC 14-9 due to some key defensive boards and clutch scoring. This included with simply over a minute to play and Alberta main 64-61, Semeniuk drove the lane and pulled up for a floater off the glass to extend their result in five-points at 66-61 to place the sport out of attain.
Each the T-Birds and Pandas, together with the remainder of Canada West head into the prolonged vacation break earlier than returning within the new yr. UBC begins 2023 on the street for a weekend sequence in Brandon Friday and Saturday January 6 and seven whereas the Alberta hosts UBC Okanagan on the identical weekend.
